Usually I wait until the first of the year to begin looking at market statistics for the year in North Kohala. Although there are still two months of 2026 remaining, there has been a remarkable uptick in sales at the North Kohala gated (and one ungated) communities near Kawaihae and the resorts – and I wanted to comment on it as our traditional “busy season” of snowbird arrivals begins.
If you read our Hawaiʻi Life quarterly market reports, you will know that overall the market volume has been slower in 2026 than in 2025: more inventory, longer days on market to sell, fewer sales, prices flat.
However, the lower North Kohala communities: Kohala Ranch, Kohala Estates, Kohala By the Sea, and Kohala Waterfront – have bucked the trend, with sales looking likely to surpass 2023 and 2024 when lack of inventory constrained the volume of sales. The year started strong and just kept selling.
Strong Residential Sales at Kohala Ranch in 2026
Last year only seven homes sold in Kohala Ranch, but so far 10 sales have closed in 2026, with two more properties in escrow and likely to close by year end. Sold prices range from $1,650,000 to $4,050,000 – with a pretty tight median sales/asking ratio right around 96%. The median days on market to sale is only 41 – but some properties (both sold and active) started ambitiously priced and had to take a price reduction before seeing action.
I will go into more detail in my final report on 2026 but sales were distributed between the lower Heathers section and the middle Meadows section.
If you are looking, there are only four active listings at Kohala Ranch, all in the $3+ million range.
More Choice, More Sales in Kohala by the Sea in 2026
Only one home sold last year in Kohala by the Sea – and it came back on the market after some renovations and sold again one year later at a nice profit, bucking the trend of flat to declining prices. Prices ranged from $2,110,000 to $2,800,000 averaging $972/sq ft, a bit higher than Kohala Ranch $/sq ft pricing.
One property sold in Kohala Estates, the ungated community without CC&RS between Kohala Ranch and Kohala By the Sea – a smaller home than could be built in the gated communities but enjoying 3 acres, sold for $1,035,000.
A sale is pending on a home in Kohala Waterfront, and two others were listed at some point this year but those listings have expired or were withdrawn…perhaps we will see them return for high season.
Forecast for 2027 in Lower North Kohala
With only nine active listings in the area, it still looks like a balanced market – meaning sellers and buyers having similar negotiating power. I have a couple of owners preparing to sell – and I am only one listing agent so by the time snowbirds arrive we should have a bit more choice in the lower North Kohala market.
By the way, if you are looking for a vacant land parcel in these communities, we saw a similar uptick in the number of sales in 2026 versus 2025. And similar to the residential market, there is still a fair amount of inventory to choose from.
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